The blaring of a lifeguard’s whistle pierces the air at Maya Bay, an hour’s speedboat ride across the Andaman Sea from Phuket.
Now, as the crowds return, the boats are gone, instead dropping off and picking up tourists at a newly built pier on the other side of the island.New coral has been planted and as the marine life improves, a shiver of small reef sharks has made Maya Bay its home. Prior to the global health crisis, the South-east Asian nation reported nearly 40 million international arrivals a year, representing nearly 18 per cent of GDP. Roughly 800,000 Australians visited annually, according to the Australian government. Last year, even as Thailand led the region in trying to reboot the industry while the virus raged, there were only 427,000 foreigners who touched down in the “Land of Smiles”.The toll has been significant.
Tourists are beginning to trickle back to the celebrated backpackers’ hub and party strip, which was also immortalised in Alex Garland’s noveland its movie adaptation. Construction sites along Khaosan Road also promise a fresh beginning. “Every now and then [the bar staff] would look out and go ‘everybody, quiet, quiet, the police’, but then when we came out about half [past] two in the morning there were people spilled out in the streets outside the venues, buckets going on, drinking.”Chris Barrett
“We need tourism with high quality,” says Suthiphong, the Thai Travel Agents’ Association head. “The government is planning already to grab the tourists from middle class up to upper class. We are concerned for [budget travellers] but we don’t pay for advertising for this group.”“For the backpackers I have to confess to you that the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the government, the Ministry of Tourism, they don’t give so much interest for this kind of group.
“I just got back from Phuket yesterday and I’ve seen a lot of families and groups of active seniors coming to Thailand. They are seeking a safe destination. But those in the leisure or mass market [category] are still welcome to Thailand.”
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